The subtitle of this wonderful guide to bento by Crystal Wantanabe and Maki Ogawa is a perfect summary of its contents, as fresh recipes abound within its pages and adorable lunches a sure result for readers who try its rich trove of bento suggestions.
Crystal and Maki bring a playful and creative spirit to bento that radiates from their happy creations and cheerful, encouraging text. Bento instructions are detailed, practical and adaptable. As a fanatic for bento accessories of all kinds, I was quite taken with the pages devoted to bright and beautifully photographed bento tools.
Accessible and friendly, Yum-Yum Bento Box invites us have fun while creating sweet and balanced lunches...I will refer to it often for ideas, inspirations, and how-to's!
This Kitty in Summer Garden bento is a variation on the Kitty Cat and Goldfish Bento on page 35. Inside the nori-covered onigiri kitty is spicy salmon and eggplant with ginger:
Shrimp and salmon roe, broccolini, plum-garlic pickles, radish sprouts, cherries and edible flowers including marigold and pansy keep kitty company, reflecting the bright summer colors of July.
Have a good week, bento pals!
My local store said they had a copy of yum yum, then they couldn't find it. Now I have to wait cos it's on order grrrrr!
ReplyDeleteI can't wait to get my hands on it to try some bento!
Hi arkonite_babe! Hmmmm, would you perhaps order this from Amazon UK--wonder if that might be faster? Have a great week ahead :)
ReplyDeleteAmazon actually isn't much quicker and my local bookstore had it on special so I don't mind waiting :)
ReplyDeleteGood weekend for me, we have 2 days holiday, no work until Wednesday! (N.Ireland only)
Cool! Enjoy your long weekend, it sounds lovely!
ReplyDeleteAw, nice kitty ^-^ And again great flowers!
ReplyDeleteHow about a blog post with those flowers? Because I don't know which one can be eaten and which not ^^"
Wow, this is so nice! I love the colours of the bento so much and of course the kitty! I'm yet to have this book too. Thinking of asking someone to buy and send to my from U.S. :)
ReplyDeleteBeautiful summer garden and cute kitty cat! And you have a new theme for your blog too, nice :)
ReplyDeleteHi Lil'chan! All of the flowers in the bento are edible (and organically grown)--my favorite is peppery nasturtium. Marigold is full of Vitamin A but is a bit more pungent in taste, so I tend to scatter its petals over salads or in this case, rice :)
ReplyDeleteHere's a couple of nice articles with detailed info on different types of edible flowers:
http://www.epicurean.com/articles/edible-flowers.html
http://ourgardengang.tripod.com/edibleflowers.htm
Hi KidsDreamWork--many thanks for this sweet comment! Glad you liked the colors here :) Please let me know if I can help with sending a copy of this book--feel free to email me your home mailing address (I'm at bentobird@gmail.com)
ReplyDeleteHi Lia! So nice to "see" you again, how are things? Maybe you have a beautiful new bento up...I'll have to fly over to Bentolicious to find out!
ReplyDeleteWow what a great book! I'm looking forward to see more of your cute and yummy bento.
ReplyDeleteHi Kaimono888, you are so sweet! Still drooling over your last ramen post, btw :)
ReplyDeleteI am waiting for my copy of Yum-Yum Bento Box to come in the mail. I can't wait to get it. I love your beautiful bento. I love the kitty! Of course it all sounds so scrumptious to eat too! Yum!
ReplyDeleteOOOO, I love the little kitty peeking out from all the beautiful orangery! Very cute. :)
ReplyDeleteHi Lyndsey, oh cool that a copy is on the way! I can't wait to see how you'll have fun with some of the many great bento ideas in this book...and really appreciate your kind and encouraging comments, as always :)
ReplyDeleteWe have tons of zukes and tomatoes from the farmers market right now, should be fun to cook with them later today...bento has made me savor the seasons with much greater awareness, one of my fave things about this tasty hobby we share :)
Hi there Kuusou! Glad you liked this one...looking forward to visiting your blog to see what's new :)
ReplyDeleteWow, those plum garlic pickles are adorable! I thought they were candied almonds at first. You did such a good job with this kitty bento. You have definitely mastered kawaii with this one!
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Love this cute kittie - and those beautiful cherries too!
ReplyDeleteHey there, Sonoma Bento! Thanks, they are really yum and do indeed look like candied almonds, ha! Thanks for your really nice comments...kawaii bento is like a whole realm of possibility, fun to explore!
ReplyDeleteThanks Lexi dear, so nice to "see" you again!
ReplyDeleteLove your summery kitty in the garden! As usual, everything looks fresh, colorful and juicy. Can't wait to dive right in and partake :D
ReplyDeleteI love it! You can also order this book from ModCloth.com. Going out this weekend and snapping pictures of scenery and bento goodies...if you want anything particular, let me know.
ReplyDeleteMeowww, lovely cat. I always think the flowers are for deco until a friend's hubby ate one! The chinese restaurants here used a lot of purple orchid to garnish food. Cheers/Karen =)
ReplyDeleteHi sherimiya! Miao and happy Tuesday to you :)
ReplyDeleteHi Redd! That sounds awesome...so psyched for you :) Looking forward very much to seeing your pics and bentos!
ReplyDeleteHi Karen, thanks for stopping by with your lovely comments :) That's an edible flower I have not tried yet, saw for sale at a gourmet shop in NYC...interesting!
ReplyDeleteHave read a lot of Yum Yum Bento Book reviews recently and it made me sooo drooling to have one, can't wait! :D. Btw, I really love your black kitty cat. Seems he got a lot of fun in his flowery garden :D
ReplyDeleteHi there Ta! Lots of great ideas in this book...thank you for your sweet comments!
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